With the ROG Ally X, ASUS has introduced the successor to its popular handheld device. Linus Tech Tips has already had a look at the model, but his enthusiasm is rather subdued. And it is not due to the good performance.
Linus Sebastian, with his channel Linus Tech Tips, is one of the most well-known YouTubers in the tech sector. In a recently released video, he was able to try out the new gaming handheld from ASUS, the Rog Ally X. This is the official successor to the ROG Ally, which we rank among the best gaming handhelds.
However, Linus does not want to endorse the new handheld from ASUS. And that’s despite the fact that he believes that compared to its predecessor, everything has only improved.
What does Linus say about the Ally X? The first impressions are very positive. ASUS, according to Linus, has thoroughly revised the device and addressed many of the criticisms of the old model. Better battery life, better ergonomics, and new, modern ports such as USB-4 or an additional USB-C port. This makes the new Ally X outperform its predecessor in every area.
Linus accuses ASUS of lacking transparency with the old model
Why can he not recommend the device despite this? Starting at minute 10:20 in his video, Linus addresses the issues with the device’s SD card slot. Regarding the ROG Ally X, Linus explains that ASUS has repositioned the card reader. However, there is a much more extensive problem behind it:
- Shortly after the release of the ROG Ally, some buyers discovered that the SD card readers tend to fail and could potentially damage the SD cards.
- In July 2023, ASUS confirmed the problem with the SD card reader and pointed out that it might be a temperature issue.
- However, ASUS has allegedly never officially solved the problem, as reported by colleagues from TheVerge.
In his video, Linus further discusses the problems and criticism, stating quite clearly that he had wished for “more transparency” from ASUS and would continue to wish for it in the future. Officially, no one really knows how many Ally devices ended up being affected or still are.
According to Linus, ASUS has never been very productive in dealing with criticism or problems. If the manufacturer really cared, ASUS should either “recall [the models] or handle it preventively.” He explains in detail:
And until this matter is resolved and ASUS has shown that it can be trusted again, it doesn’t matter how much I like the ROG Ally X. (…) Even if I personally would buy one, I am unable to recommend it, even though I would really like to.
And this is not the first time ASUS has faced criticism.
ASUS is not facing criticism from gamers and YouTubers for the first time
Recently, the tech YouTuber Gamers Nexus tested ASUS customer support and suddenly had to pay hundreds of euros for a repair. His opinion on the customer support was devastating, stating: “ASUS’s warranty service is absolute garbage based on our experience.”
In this context, ASUS at least stated that it wanted to get to the bottom of the problems and investigate complaints from other players. ASUS promised improvements and wanted to address the mentioned problems.
However, the reputation among many players has been significantly damaged with the recent actions. For this reason, Linus’s opinion is rather subdued. And the problems apparently seem not to be isolated cases, as Gamers Nexus discovered: Tech YouTuber complains about customer service – Receives countless responses from viewers with the same problem.
